


A Hazy Shade of Winter

by brodylover



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Avalanches, Blizzards & Snowstorms, Cold, Hypothermia, Monster of the Week, ona
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-25
Updated: 2012-11-25
Packaged: 2017-11-19 11:45:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/572917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brodylover/pseuds/brodylover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While hunting an Onna in a blizzard, the Winchesters get separated and Sam is saved by the thing they are hunting. He has to decide if he’s going to help her or kill her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Hazy Shade of Winter

The snow crunched under Sam's feet and he clutched his thick arms to his chest. He was wearing a thick, puffy coat, but it wasn't doing much, the falling powder having collected in the collar and any other place it could land. That and his sweat made for an icy journey through the snowfall, which was getting thicker with every step.  
He could hardly see in front of him and he was afraid to call out his brother's name. Each time he did he was sure his strong voice would cause a minor avalanche so he did it as little as possible. Instead he shoved one ungloved hand into his pocket, fishing out his cell phone. He hadn't had any luck so far, but maybe, just maybe, he had somehow found a signal.  
All the while he pushed forward. There was no point in stopping. He'd freeze even more thoroughly without his exertion to keep him warm and regardless, they had to find the creature who was living up there. In the past ten years it had snatched 74 hikers. Sam thought it was an Onna, and without any other ideas he had come prepared for it. Both he and Dean carried their lighters and enough lighter fluid to burn down Chicago.  
His legs were heavy and the snow pants were useless. His long legs kept digging deep into the snow and the powder would ride up his legs. It felt like he had used some of that lighter fluid on himself, they tingled and burned so horribly. Still, as they burned they also froze, an odd contradiction.  
He was tired and thirsty and a mess, every step harder than his last. He kept thinking to himself that he should lie down, take a break, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to get up again. He was exhausted though and sleep was clouding his eyes. He began to stumble and with that he began to panic. He had gone on a field trip in high school and they discussed the symptoms of hypothermia. Sam was suffering from that and that he knew, but he couldn't understand why the only cure of it he remembered was to take off all of your clothes and cuddle someone for warmth in a sleeping bag.  
His panic showed in his voice as he called out for Dean. There was no way he could find his brother, it was much too hard to see as the blizzard strengthened.  
Eventually the muscles in his legs snapped like old rubber bands and he fell forward in the snow. His whole body was on fire, but it was fine, it was comfortable. Lying there was fine. He would be up again in a few minutes, rejuvenated and ready to go. For now he just needed to close his eyes.  
Long, sharp fingernails scratched his wrist. He tried to pull away, but he couldn't the grip was tight and there was nowhere else for him to go. The snow had piled over him, more than a foot in some places. He was too tired to struggle fully, so he allowed the hand to guide him out of the snow bank that had grown over him.  
A small woman stood before him, her legs spread over her snowshoes to give her the support she needed to pull out the large man. She was positively tiny but Sam couldn't tell anything else about her. She was wrapped in blankets and coats, protected from the cold of the storm. On her chest was a pin, which had the common pine tree on it next to her name, Ranger Jenny.  
"Are you alright?" the ranger interrogated once he was as much on his feet as he could be, one arm draped over her small frame. She was maybe half of his size, "What are you doing out here?"  
"Ugh," Sam gasped, thinking, "I was hiking with my brother. We got separated in the storm though."  
She shrugged and started to lead him away from the hole in the snow that he had made for himself, "I'll be back to look for him later. For now, you need to get inside, get warm. You're not even supposed to be up here."  
"I know." Sam admitted, "We didn't think it was actually going to be as bad as they said down below."  
"Bad idea." She shook her head, "It's always a lot worse up here than it is on the ground."  
She gripped his arm tightly as they walked; her guiding him as best she could. His height and weight made it difficult for him and he was accidently knocking her over.  
"Well, they sure made you big." She chuckled, "If your brother is this size I won't have any problem finding him."  
"Heh." Sam coughed back, "No. He's short. I got all the height it seems."  
"Pity."  
Sam could smell smoke and pine trees and, if he squinted, he could almost see the small cabin in the distance.  
"Here we go." The ranger smiled, "My place, my station, you could say. It's just a small cabin but there's hot water and a bathtub. It's probably not going to fit you. Oh dear. Oh well, you'll have to make due."  
Sam nodded and they drew even closer to the small cabin before she led him inside. 

Ranger Jenny took his clothes to wash and dry them as he washed. He had seen her now, her having stripped off all but her necessary layers as soon as they had gotten inside. She was pretty, but other than that Sam hadn't noticed anything about her. He was too tired to even think.  
The bath was hot and calming, even though large portions of his body were out at a time and he had to switch what parts were being warmed every few minutes. His eyelids were heavy and he almost fell asleep once again in the bath itself.  
After a while there was a knock on the door and the rangers voice came through the crack in the door, letting him know that there was a bathrobe just outside the door for him. He thanked her and pulled himself out of the water, drying himself off with a slightly off-white towel. With it wrapped around his waist he reached into the hallway and grabbed the robe, pulling it into the small bathroom to change there. He didn't want to overstay his welcome by showing the ranger his naked body.  
When he left the bathroom she was in the kitchen, talking on the radio, "Yes. There's another one on the mountain somewhere. I looked but I couldn't see him. No, I have to stay here. I have to keep an eye on the man I found. Thanks."  
She turned to Sam, setting the radio down on the stone counter, "Okay, they're sending up some snowmobiles up and they're going to scour the mountain side for your brother. The storm's starting to lighten up so it shouldn't be so hard."  
"Thanks," Sam grinned, "for everything. I swear you saved my life out there."  
"Hey, it's my job, right?" she handed him a mug of coffee, "You want to sit by the fire? You really should stay warm."  
He followed her to the living room where a fire roared half-hazardly. Sam wasn't paying attention to that though; he was too busy studying the ranger. She was curvy for her size and he had been wrong about her being pretty, she was gorgeous. She was Japanese in every feature, none of her looks altered by western genetics. Her hair was jet black, braided, and then wrapped into a bun. That made sense. Long hair would just get in the way.  
"So, Ranger-" Sam started, sitting on a couch near the fire with his legs spread, his elbows on his knees.  
"Please." She interrupted, "Jenny."  
"Sorry… Jenny, are you the only one here?"  
She shook her head and giggled softly to herself, "Oh no. My son is here with me." She turned and called out the name "Koyuki" a few times and eventually a boy came out.  
Koyuki was tall and lanky, possible twelve years old. His eyes were bright and blue and there were freckles spread over his face.  
"Hey there, " Sam smiled, waving slightly.  
The boy didn't respond, just kind of shied away.  
"Sorry about that. He's very shy." She took him by the arms, looking into his eyes, "Koy, do you want to make some hot chocolate?"  
The boy nodded before he bounded off. Sam didn't take his eyes off of him for as long as he could before turning back to Jenny.  
"His father?" he asked, not sure if it was in bad taste.  
She shook her head, "I don't know. Koy is adopted. I've raised him as my own though."  
"Koyuki is a very interesting name."  
"It means snow."  
They sat together in silence after that, drinking their coffee slowly. Sam never felt like he was alone with Jenny though, it always felt like the boy's eyes were quietly upon him.  
Maybe Jenny was the monster they had been hunting. It wasn't too uncommon for Onna to take in children. Use them as slave labor or something, Sam didn't know. He looked over at her. She was pale, that matched the lore, but they usually had blue lips, as if they had frozen to death, and Jenny's lips looked quite normal. Her hair was long enough though; he could see that even through the bun. Onna liked having long hair; they could use it as a weapon.  
If she was the monster, surely she would have killed him by now, kissed him and froze him solid. There must have been something that she wanted otherwise.  
"How long have you been a ranger here, Jenny?" he asked, hesitantly.  
She thought on it, "You know, I think I'm coming up on ten years."  
Ten years. That decided it. People had been disappearing for that long. Sam reached down, about to get his lighter fluid, but then he remembered that she had taken his clothes. She'd probably found his weapons and taken them.  
"A lot of people have gone missing in that time." Sam flatly stated.  
"And a lot of people have made it down the mountain." Jenny retorted in the same flatness, "I know what you are Sam Winchester. I know you're here to kill me. But I have to tell you, whatever God you believe in's truth, they all had a choice. I helped those who would help me. Some were beyond help and others would panic and attack me, or just refuse outright."  
"What choice." Sam hissed, his patience and politeness fading away.  
"I have a favor to ask." She looked at her long fingernails, "You do it and you can go. Hell, I'll show you the easiest and fastest way down this mountain."  
"And Dean?" Sam knew he wasn't dead, he would have felt it if he were. He'd felt it when Dean's soul was dragged into Hell, he'd feel it now.  
"I didn't kill him. I haven't even found him. He'll probably find his way here and try to kill me. He's the shoot first ask questions later kind of guy. Sporadic. Spontaneous."  
Sam just stared at her. How did she know so much?  
"Word travels fast Sammy." She explained, seeing the question in his dark green eyes., "There are a lot of creatures that want you and your brother dead, especially now that your guardian angel is out of the picture. You ruined everyone's vacation plans."  
"What do you want from me?" he snarled.  
"Protection." she pointedly remarked.  
He squinted at her. She was a powerful creature, something between a ghost and a witch, yet she needed his help?  
"I'm not the only thing up here. There are other monsters to go bump and they like to work in packs. There's only so much I can do alone. You'll help me out either way; I just thought I'd give you the option of surviving."  
"Well, that's nice of you."  
"Cut your sass, Sam." She stood up, a look of disgust on her attractive face, "You are a pain in everyone's ass and I have a duty to kill you. I don't have to offer you anything, but I am. So be grateful."  
Sam flared his nostrils, breathing in a deep breath to settle his nerves and cool his anger. It was a strong force, his anger, and he was having a hard time keeping a hold of it.  
"All I need is a simple spell and some logs moved. I thought your size would help with that."  
She handed him some dry clothes for going outside, explaining the spell to him simply. It didn't seem too bad at all. Once he was dressed she led him out into the snow, wearing only a thin scarf, a tank top, and extremely tight jeans. She was used to the cold.  
The logs were mostly already in place, but some had fallen due to snow or moved. They formed a shabby fence around the entirety of the cabin, other than the front door. With Jenny's directions he pushed and heaved at the logs that had moved until they were back in place. It was hard work and Sam had to push his muscles hard, but it wasn't impossible. Sweating and tired he returned to her, surprised to see her grinning. Her teeth were just a little bit sharper than they should have been and on close inspection, her gums were blue.  
"You're wearing lipstick." Sam breathed, his eyebrows forming a knot in his forehead.  
"Give the man a prize." Jenny sarcastically exclaimed, "Or maybe I should. All that strength could come in handy."  
Sam didn't mind getting hit on normally and he smiled at her nervously. If she weren't a monster, sure, he would consider it.  
"So then, what now?" He tried to look down at her without appearing to be looking down his nose too much. It was a hard thing though, being tall sometimes had disadvantages.  
She handed him a knife. It was bronze, with the head of a serpent on the hilt. It seemed ancient and reeked of feudal Japan and blood. He studied it, wondering how many throats had been slit with it.  
"In order for the spell to work" Jenny explained, "I need the blood of a condemned man drawn by a blade that had killed a hundred righteous ones. Not an easy task."  
"Heh." Sam muttered as they gears clicked, "So you really could have had my help whether or not a survived."  
"Mmhm." He grinning before turning back towards the house and shouting to the shy boy, "Koyuki! Get me the Hogo no jumon, please!"  
Sam looked back to the house, seeing the shy boy in the window for a second before he disappeared.  
"Who is he, really?" Sam asked, afraid to know the truth. Onna were known to kill people, surely she'd slaughtered his parents.  
"I found him." she admitted, biting his colored lip, "he was just lying in the snow, two years old. His parents were around him, ripped to pieces. I told you there are things in these woods? That's what happened. I couldn't just leave him there."  
Sam laughed a bit under his breath, turning his face towards the ground so it was hidden by his shaggy hair.  
"What?" she asked, before repeating herself a bit more angrily.  
"It's just…" Sam sighed, "It's rare to find a monster who actually cares about things like that."  
"You're racist." She noted, "Cute. But racist. We're not all the same. Surely you've run into good things as well."  
Sam nodded. Sure he had. There had been that Skin-Walker, Lucky, and Lenore's nest of vampires, and of course, there was Cas. He didn't think he should bundle him in with monsters but the rest of his garrison didn't prove themselves to be too different from demons.  
Wearing his winter gear, Koyuki ran out of the house, carrying a large wooden bowl in his hands, carefully. He handed it to Jenny, who ruffled his mousy brown hair lovingly, passing the bowl to Sam.  
The bowl was filled with a salmon colored powder and as Sam sniffed it, it all seemed very familiar. There was sage, buttercup, marigold, paprika, and Darjeeling. There were a few things that he couldn't name, but most of it seemed like it was quite common.  
"How much?" Sam asked, rolling up his sleeve and immediately regretting it as the wind stung him like acid tipped nettles.  
"Just enough to turn it into a paste." Jenny instructed, "I'll take care of the rest after that."  
Sam dragged the blade across his arm, gritting his teeth as the dark red liquid bubbled from the gash. He quickly handed the blade back to Jenny and moved the bowl under his arm, collecting as much as he could.  
As soon as he felt it was enough, a gunshot rang.  
Jenny collapsed to the ground, her front buried in the thickening snow. There was a deep bullet hole in her back, just where her heart was. Sam looked around, trying to spot the shooter and quickly found him.  
"Dean!" he shouted, forcing his bleeding arm out to tell him to stand down. It didn't work and instead it had the hunter running, speeding towards them and digging in his bag.  
Jenny pulled herself to her feet, but she was no longer the beauty that Sam knew. She covered her face with her hand as she pushed Koyuki towards the cabin, telling him to run and to hide inside.  
Once he was inside. Once he was safe, she took her hand down. Her face was a mess of twisted blue veins, her skin white as porcelain. Her hair quickly unraveled from its bun and braid, a living thing of its own. It enveloped her head, a halo of black threads, and each ready to slice Dean into ribbons.  
Dean raised his pistol, aiming again. He knew it would do nothing, but it may give him time. But he could shoot.  
Sam stood in front of her, his arms spread protectively. Almost all of her was hidden behind the massive hunter and Dean could only see a few of her trickling hairs.  
"Sammy! Get out of the way!" Dean shouted, his face a mask of rage and fear. He knew that this creature was a monster. It was going to kill Sam just as anything else would.  
"No." Sam commanded and his brother immediately stopped, his bowed legs plowing into the snow.  
Dean looked confused, but he lowered his gun. He didn't need it. He was reaching for his lighter fluid.  
"Remember the vampires Dean?" Sam inquired, his green eyes wild, "Or the Skin-Walkers? They were good guys! This Onna is a good guy too."  
Dean's mouth hung open as he squinted, trying to understand his soft brother, "You trying to tell me that 74 missing persons are accountable to a good guy?"  
"He's not going to understand." Jenny shrieked, her voice between a growl and a banshee's wail, "That wasn't me. Sam, I only killed four people. Four! And they were all hunters! It was self defense!"  
"Dean." Sam held his hand out, pleading with his brother to put away his lighter fluid, "There's something else out there. It's been killing people a lot longer than Jenny has even been here."  
"Jenny?" Dean's entire face tightened, "You're on a first name basis with this spook!"  
"Dean! If she wanted to kill me, don't you think she would have? She could have killed us thirty times over while we've been standing here."  
"Fifty." She interjected.  
"She saved my life, Dean." Sam ignored her and continued, "And I'm not the first. The people who have made it out of here, during avalanches and the like, she helped them out. All they had to do was help her too. Dean. There is a boy in that cabin. She found him out here all alone, his parents murdered. She brought him in. She's raised him."  
"Who told you that?" Dean argued, "She did!"  
"You didn't see it Dean." Sam pleaded, "That boy, he's scared out of his mind but not of Jenny. There really is something in the woods and it's obvious that Jenny is the only person he feels safe around. What are you going to do, kill his mother?"  
"She's not his mother, Sammy! She's a thingy!"  
"Well, Bobby isn't our dad, but he protects us all the same!"  
Dean ran his hand over his mouth, dropping the lighter fluid to his side. He looked haunted. He had been so sure that this was what was taking people. He had a good heart but sometimes he was so stubborn that it was smothered. Now they were battling each other.  
Sam stepped to the side, letting Dean get a good look at Jenny. Her hair was limp and hung to her waist. Her face was the way it had been before. She was beautiful and innocent.  
"Dean, please." Sam asked one last time.  
Dean punched the air, releasing his built up tension. Jenny would be okay.  
Sam looked at Jenny, putting a hand on her shoulder, "You going to be okay?"  
She nodded, solemnly, and took the bowl from him before turning on her heel and rushing back to the cabin, doing everything aside from running.  
Sam walked up to his brother, who was still fuming, his face a bit red.  
"I hate you." He spat, not meaning it at all, "I hate you so much."  
"Yeah yeah yeah." Sam chuckled, patting his brother on the back.  
They headed down the mountain and maybe half a mile from the cabin they found the snow to be thinner but only in a certain path. Sam smiled, knowing that it had been Jenny helping them along.


End file.
